Lifestyle

The Best Gingersnaps Recipe These are my must make holiday cookies, and keep really well in a closed container for a few weeks (or so they say, I seldom have them last that long.) The dough freezes well, too, and they make great gifts or treats with coffee or tea. Gingersnaps 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/2 cup molasses 4 1/2 cups all purpose flour 3 teaspoons baking soda 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg Additional sugar. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, salt, and nutmeg. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until dough is easy to handle. Roll into 1 inch balls; roll in sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and flatten slightly with a glass. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes or until puffy and lightly browned. Cool for one minute before removing to wire racks. Yield: 11 dozen

Did you know that in my "former life," I owned a restaurant/cafe/catering business in Carytown named Gourmet Delights? One of the things we were known for were our carryout catering items. This was waaaay before supermarkets had the plethora of ready made items they do now, so being able to stock your freezer with delicious pasta dishes, soups, and and side dishes was a big deal. And one of the top sellers, especially around the holidays, was this one. Party Potatoes. Easy to make ahead, easy to travel, and always a hit. Did I mention make ahead? (Around the holidays, that certainly deserves a second mention!) Party Potatoes Ingredients 8 cups mashed potatoes (about 8 - 10 russet potatoes) 8 tbsp butter 8 oz cream cheese 8 oz sour cream 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives 1 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp black pepper Instructions Grease a 9x13 baking dish with one tablespoon of butter. In a large bowl, mix together the prepared mashed potatoes (I highly recommend using a ricer for these!) with six tablespoons of the butter, cream cheese, sour cream, salt,  and pepper. Fold in the chopped chives. Transfer the party potatoes to the prepared baking dish. Dot the top with the remaining one tablespoon of butter. At this point you can cover the dish with plastic wrap and store overnight in the refrigerator.       When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350 degrees and remove the plastic wrap. Bake the potatoes for 50 - 60 minutes. *This dish also freezes well, just make sure you thaw completely before baking. What a way to make Thanksgiving just a little easier!

  So... Maybe you just bought a house that has a few projects (or is one big project). Maybe you're selling your house, and you need to do some updates to make sure you get top dollar. Or, maybe you love your current home, but just need a little something to make it fit your life and style right now. Unless you're Chip and Joanna, you'll probably need to hire a contractor. But where do you even start? Never fear, I'm here to help. Follow this process, and while I can't guarantee a totally stress free result, I can pretty much assure you that you'll have a better experience than if you don't. FIRST STEPS Have a plan of what you're doing. Major kitchen renovation? Small bathroom renovation? Or maybe you need a full blown addition. Odds are, the project is going to dictate the contractor you use. If you just need a new vanity and lighting in the bathroom, you are probably going not going to want to use the company that builds mega additions on luxury homes. The job is just going to be too small for them. Ask for recommendations from people you know who have used a contractor for (ideally) a similar job, a contractor (electrician, plumber, etc who may work with someone they like). Ask WHY they would recommend them, too! Ask me! I work with different folks all the time, and I know looooootttts of people, who do almost everything. I don't get anything from them from the referral, but I work with them enough that I know they'll treat my clients right. I always recommend getting quotes from 2, or ideally, 3, contractors for your project. Not just because the prices can be drastically different, but also because you are absolutely going to feel more comfortable with one. (And trust me, if they are going to be in your home, and you have to communicate a lot, this matters more than you realize.) ONCE YOU DECIDE ON A CONTRACTOR (or you're close to deciding!) I talk to people all the time who have never hired a contractor before, and don't even know where to start, what to ask, or what their expectations should be. Interestingly, I've talked to lots of contractors over the years who have a similar problem. So, I've put together a list of where to start when you have narrowed down your project, or when you are still deciding on that contractor. QUESTIONS TO ASK! What is your process/plan for this job? How do you work? (There's no right answer here, but their answer should "feel" good to you. What is the timeframe for this project? When can you start, and how long with it take to finish? What is included in your quote? (Is there anything you, the customer, needs to provide? If someone gives you a great deal on painting, but you have to purchase all the paint, make sure that it's still a good deal.) Will they take care of all the permits, and perform all the work to code? (This seems like it should be a given, but trust me, it's not.) Do they have tradespeople on staff, or do they subcontract those? (Plumbers/electricians, etc) How often with the person/someone in charge visit the job to oversee? Who will be your main point of communication? How will they communicate? If you are more easily available by text, and they only call, or email, make sure you are able to land on a way that works for everyone. How often will they update you on progress? What materials will be used? Make sure those are laid out in the contract, IN WRITING. Don't assume that "wood floors" mean the quality of floors that you want. Get the specifics. Where will they be doing their sawing/trim work, etc? How will they deal with dust, etc inside the house? (Generally speaking you want people doing the sawing, drilling, etc, outside, or in the garage. NOT in your living space.) What will be the level of finishing? Are they going to add new trim/replace trim, etc, and paint it? Are they going to redo your whole bathroom, but leave the old vent fan from 1974? (If you want that, it's one thing, but don't assume EVERYTHING will be new if you don't ask.) These are really just a few things to get you started. If you have a project in mind, get super clear on a list of your expectations before you meet with anyone, and most definitely before you sign a contract. And remember, like I always say- when you're looking for contractors, Cheap, Fast, or Good. You can only get two. Never all three. What do you choose, and how involved do you want to be?      Got more questions? I'm happy to answer them, or point you in the direction of great people, if I'm able!

Before you get really excited that there’s going to be a fantastic reveal of a super cute office space at the end of this… don’t. We all work from home a little differently. I work from home the way I work from home, and that’s not at a desk. It never has been, and at this point, it probably never will be. On the sofa, at the table, on the patio. Yes. All of those. Like most people I know, I’ve been working more from home and generally spending more time there these past couple of months. I’m so thankful that I do something that enables me to continue to work, to work remotely, to work from home, but boy, sometimes that’s a LOT of home. I’ll confess, my office is not just an office. It’s our third bedroom, a storage space, where my son’s rowing machine lives, a home for my printer, my signs, and even my crockpot… For the last few years, it’s become known as “The Indoor Shed.” Right at the same time I hit the point of “I can’t stand this any more!” I won a virtual organizing session with Mary Davis, organizer extraordinaire, and her company In Good Order. Talk about perfect timing! This is embarrassing! When she asked what space I wanted to tackle, it was a no brainer, even though I honestly wasn’t sure how we could begin to wrangle it in to shape. So here’s how it went… First we did a little walk through (via FaceTime, naturally) and I showed her the horror that was this space. Too much stuff, too much variety, too many piles… you get the idea… UGH. What a disaster. And where to even start?? Mary first had me pull everything out (yes, everything) and sort it all into “like” piles. All the paper. All the craft supplies, all the client gifts, notecards, etc. So many piles!!                 Once we got all those piles sorted, we determined what sort of containers and what sort of storage we needed to hold alllll that stuff. (And let's be honest, some things got tossed, and others didn't deserve their own categories.) The finished product? Well, that was pretty much amazing. Talk about an extreme makeover! I can actually find things, I'm not stepping over everything, and the only things in that room are actually things that I need. In case you can't tell, I'm a BIG fan of In Good Order, and Mary Davis. If you're stuck on a spot in your home, or your business, and just can't seem to get things organized, she can help! The final product? Here you go! (Big difference, right??)